skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal judge blocks AZ law that 'disenfranchised' Native voters; government shutdown could cost U.S. travel economy about $1 Billion per week; WA group brings 'Alternatives to Violence' to secondary students.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senator Robert Menendez offers explanations on the money found in his home, non-partisan groups urge Congress to avert a government shutdown and a Nevada organization works to build Latino political engagement.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

An Indigenous project in South Dakota seeks to protect tribal data sovereignty, advocates in North Carolina are pushing back against attacks on public schools, and Arkansas wants the hungriest to have access to more fruits and veggies.

VA Restoration Project Creates Oyster Reefs from Tons of Concrete

play audio
Play

Monday, August 3, 2020   

Correction: 08/03/2020 12:38 p.m. CST - Army Corps of Engineers received $10 million in federal funding, not Lynnhaven River NOW.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A unique restoration partnership in Virginia enters a new phase as tons of crushed concrete are being deposited into the Lynnhaven River to rebuild oyster habitat lost to over-harvesting.

Virginia Beach is partnering with the Lynnhaven River NOW project by providing the concrete from sidewalks and streets that have been torn up. Brent James, oyster restoration coordinator with Lynnhaven River NOW, said concrete is chemically similar to oyster shells - both contain calcium carbonate, which attracts baby oysters.

And 35,000 tons of concrete will go into 12 acres in the river's western branch. James said it has the potential to grow millions of oysters that filter water.

"A full-grown oyster will filter anywhere from 20 to 50 gallons a day," said James. "So, you get the water clarity better. So then, you start getting the entire ecosystem restoring back to what it should be in its natural state. And that's the goal of what we're doing."

The Army Corps of Engineers received $10 million in federal funding in 2018 to apply to the restoration project, which is expected to cost about $34 million.

Other groups in the collaboration include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Atlantic Coast Fish Habitat Partnership.

Kent Smith, who chairs the steering committee for the Partnership, says the Lynnhaven River is a high priority for restoration. It's a major fish habitat for striped bass, red drum, spot and croaker.

"The project really is just a great example of something we look for in funding or endorsing a project," said Smith. "It's the type of program demonstrating that the methods that they use here are actually going to result in significant fish habitat restoration."

Virginia Beach residents like Chris Schellhammer also are supportive of the project. He said it's important because of the environmental benefits it will bring to the community.

"It's incredibly valuable," said Schellhammer. "I mean, these oysters, each one of them is like a mini filter. They've been referred to as a keystone species, in the sense that if they're plentiful and doing well, then other things do, too."

Because Lynnhaven River NOW is using a non-natural material to build the oyster reefs, this most recent phase of the project still needs extra permits from the Commonwealth of Virginia to continue.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Damage seen on Maui after catastrophic, wind-driven fires swept through the area. (Brea Burkholz/Direct Relief)

Social Issues

play sound

A California group formed after the firestorm that leveled the town of Paradise is stepping up to help Maui recover from its own disaster last month…


Social Issues

play sound

Skills for reducing violence are becoming essential in schools. At the beginning of the school year, students at a Washington state high school …

play sound

The age-old theory that opposites attract has been debunked. According to analysis of more than 130 traits in a study that included millions of …


The New York City Mayor has declared a State of Emergency due to the 113,000 migrants who've arrived since spring of 2022. (pressmaster/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new report questions New York City Mayor Eric Adams' latest budget proposal for dealing with the city's influx of over 110,000 migrants. The cost …

Social Issues

play sound

A federal judge has blocked a 2022 Arizona law that voting-rights advocates say would have made it harder for some Native Americans to vote. House …

UAW members are asking for 36% raises in general pay over four years, as well as the return of pension plans for new workers. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Thousands of U.S. auto workers remain on strike, and the walkout is being felt in Minnesota. A rally was scheduled this morning in the Twin Cities …

Environment

play sound

If states like Minnesota are going to meet their climate goals, experts say younger workers will need to step into the roles to make it happen - like …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In rural Arkansas, access to healthcare can be a distant dream - literally - as almost 60 counties in the state do not have enough providers to serve …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021